Gillingham forward Danny Lloyd might not have played his last game for the club.

The 30-year-old played 27 league games for the Gills during the season, scoring five goals, and was a key player as the club’s form improved following the arrival of manager Neil Harris.

Lloyd’s season was cut short with a bad injury at Ipswich in February, suffering ligament damage to his left knee. With his contract expiring this summer and unable to start the new season because of that injury, there was no new deal on the table, but Harris hasn’t ruled the player out of his longer-term plans.

Harris said: “He isn’t going to be fit until at least October, possibly November.

“He is injured at the time being, and he has to go on the released list, even though he is rehabbing here and there is an outside chance he could be here if fit and available.”

Harris believes location could be a factor in any negotiations, as with the likes of Aaron Chapman and Vadaine Oliver, who have chosen to pursue their careers back closer to home.

He said: “Danny is a northern lad, a long way from his family, he supported me at the club since I have been here, but it is hard being away from home as well.

“Talks are ongoing but he has to go on the released list because his contract finishes on June 30 and he hasn’t been offered an acceptable contract at the moment.”

Alex MacDonald is another player who finished the season on the injured list but he is closer to a return and crucially has another year on his contract.

Harris wants him fit for June 22, when the club return for pre-season.

The manager said: “It’s a small, tight squad. Alex MacDonald is a good leader, a good personality, a very good player in my opinion.

“I have not seen him in the last six months obviously, but before that he was very good and could play a big part, especially in League 2 next season.”

MacDonald spoke last week about emerging from some dark times following a tricky injury that the specialists struggled to diagnose. But of late he’s been looking forward positively.

“It has been really tough for Macca,” said Harris. “He has had a real tough injury, it is hard to come back from injuries like that, he has worked hard to come back.

“He had a caretaker assistant role [working as no.2 for Steve Lovell] and maybe he put his focus too much into that rather than rehabbing, but that is understandable and he threw himself at it because that was what was needed at the time.

“Me and Macca get on great, he was very supportive from the day I took over, gave me a lot of information and a lot of support around players and the dressing room. I am trying to reciprocate that to him.

“Macca knows exactly where I stand, he needs to be fit on June 22, he needs to be on the start line, he needs to be in good shape. He is the wrong side of 30, he is not going to be out for nine months and then all of a sudden be at his playing weight and in better physical condition than he was nine months earlier, it is not impossible but I know it is not easy.

“He knows where he needs to get to but he also knows that if he gets into his best shape then he is an important part of my squad.”